Wheel.



J. L. WALKER.

WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1, 1912.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Attorneys COLUMBIA FLANOODAI'H CO.,WASHINUTON, D. cv

JOSEPH L. WALKER, 0F BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.

WHEEL.

fiat-N354.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1.7, 1914.

App1ic-ation filed July 1, 1912. Serial No. 707,023.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPI-I L. TVALKE R, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baton Rouge, in the parish of East Baton Rouge and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Wheel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle wheels, its object being to provide a solid wheel made up of segmental sections fitted together so that the grain of the wood constituting the sections will extend from the outer ends of the sections and inwardly toward the center of the wheel.

Another object is to provide a wheel the segmental sections of which are disposed in lapped relation.

A further object is to provide a wheel of this type having exterior sheathing whereby dirt and moisture is excluded from the joints between the segmental sections and a more durable structure is produced.

Another object is to provide a wheel having supplemental tread portions designed to contact with the ground only when the ground is too soft to uphold the main tread, at which time the supplemental treads or rims are brought into engagement with the surface and thus present more extensive bearing surfaces.

Another object is to provide a wheel the supplemental treads of which are located at the sides of the main tread so that no recesses are formed in which mud and the like will accumulate.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wheel embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a modified form of wheel, parts thereof being broken away. Fig. 4c is a section on line CD Fig. 8.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference E designates a wheel unit made up of flat segl'nental strips 1 formed of wood the grain of which extends in the direction of the lengths of the strips. These strips are fitted close together and are connected, at their outer ends, by arcuate strips 2 preferably formed of wood and with the grain extending longitudinally thereof. The outer edges of these arcuate strips are flush with the outer ends of the segmental strips 1 and the ends of the arcuate strips preferably abut so that the arcuate strips thus form a continuous ring upon one side of the wheel sections 1. The inner ends of the segmental sections 1 are lapped by and secured to a disk 3 preferably of wood and in which is formed a central opening a registering with a corresponding opening 5 formed between the inner ends of the segmental sections 1. I

A metallic hub section 6 projects into the openings 4 and 5 and has radially extending ears 7 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the disk 3, the securing bolts being ex tended not only through the ears 7 and the disk 3 but also through the adjacent segmental sections 1.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a disk 8 of thin sheet metal may be interposed between the sections 1 and the disk 3 and strips 2 so as thus to form a sheathing for protecting the strips 1 upon their outer faces.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a wheel has been shown made up of two units such as hereinbefore described, these units being oppositelyudisposed so that the sections 1 of one unit will bridge the joints between the sections 1 of the other unit. The bolts 9 used for fastening the metal hub sections to the units are extended entirely through both units so that one set of bolts serves to attach the two units together and also to fasten both of the metal hub sections in position. Furthermore, one set of bolts can be used for fastening the strips 2 in position upon the two units and for holding the sheathing disk 8 in position. hen the units are assembled, their inner faces lie close together and the passages within the hub sect-ions 6 aline but do not come entirely together. A tire 10 can be mounted upon the periphe 'al portions of the two units and when thus positioned, the wheel is complete.

Instead of forming a wheel of but two units, as hereinbefore described, an additional number may be used and, if desired. the said units can be of different diameters Cir so as to produce supplemental treads. This construction has been shown in Figs. 3 and 4. By referring to said figures it will be seen that the wheel is made up of two central connected units F each of which is similar to the unit E hereinbefore described with the exception that the metal sheathing disks 8 are dispensed with. Furthermore these central units F are not provided with metallic hub sections. To the outer faces of the middle units F are attached side units G each of which is similar to the unit E hereinbefore described. The diameters of the external units G, however, are less than the diameters of the central units F. The various units can be secured fixedly together by means of bolts extendingentirely through them, as shown at 11.

By constructing a wheel as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that on ordinary hard roads, the tire 12 of the middle unit F will bear upon the road while the tires 18 of the outer units G will be supported out of contact with the road. Thus the wheel can be easily drawn and less power is, therefore, required to pull it when supporting aload. lf, however, the wheel should move onto soft soil, the tire 12- will sink thereinto until the tires 13 contact with the soil whereupon, by reason of the increased bearing surface presented to the soil, the sinking of the wheel will be stopped and said wheel can thus be drawn over the soft soil more readily than could a wheel employing a tire of the same width as the tire 12.

It has been found that a wheel such as herein described is not only very durable but is also cheap to manufacture. The metal sheathing disks 8 prevent dirt and moisture from collecting in the joints between the segmental sections 1 of the wheel. Furthermore, as the supplemental treads 0r tires 13 are located at the sides of the central tire 12, it will be apparent that no channels or the like are produced in which mud and stones will collect and impair the eficiency'of the wheel.

W'hat is claimed is A vehicle wheel including oppositely disposed central units each including segmental sections fitted together, means upon one side of the sections for connecting the outer ends thereof, a disk upon one side of the sections for connecting the inner ends thereof, and a tire extending around the sections, and side units secured upon the outer faces of the central unit, said side units being similar and each including segmental sections fitted together, means upon one face thereof for connecting the outer ends of the sections, tires engaging the outer ends of the sections, disks upon one side of the sections for connecting the inner ends thereof, and metallic hub sections projecting into the disks of the outer units, the diameters of the outer units being less than the diameter of the central unit.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa ture in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH L. lVALKER. llit-uesses Wilson L. Burns, FRANK NORMAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. G. 

